london Archives - Don't Stop Us Now

Pulse Check on AI’s Global Rollout

June 27, 2025June 28, 2025
by Claire

We’re not long back from attending the AI Summit in London – the headline event for London Tech Week. And so this week’s episode is all about sharing the sometimes surprising key insights we took away.

The Summit brought together an incredible cross-section of nationalities, perspectives, and industries, giving us what felt like a real-time pulse check of where AI stands right now. We were there on your behalf, identifying amazing leaders and securing some fantastic upcoming guests for the show.

In this episode, we share our biggest takeaways from the event – and we suspect at least one of them will challenge what you might expect about AI’s current impact in the business world.

What you’ll hear:

The surprising reality about AI’s bottom-line impact in most organisations
Why even the biggest companies are missing a crucial strategic opportunity with their AI approach
The coming wave of autonomous AI Agents and what this means for how we’ll all be working soon,
Some rare ‘behind the curtain’ examples of how some of the most forward thinking businesses are applying AI, and . . .
The fascinating cultural divide we observed between how Europeans and Americans are talking about AI’s impact on jobs.

We also explore why so many AI pilots are failing to scale, the risks of unauthorised AI tool usage in workplaces, and what successful AI deployment actually looks like when companies think beyond just automating existing processes.

If you’ve been wondering whether your organisation is behind the curve with AI, or if you’re curious about what’s really happening beyond the hype, this episode offers some much-needed perspective from the front lines of the AI world around the globe.

Useful Links

The AI Summit London

McKinsey report on the ‘Gen AI Paradox’

Interview

Passionate about Stories and Play – Anna Rafferty

August 9, 2023August 9, 2023
by Claire

Our guest on the show this week is Anna Rafferty who runs a global team of more than a thousand people at Lego, the company with play at the heart of its DNA.

Based in London, Anna and her large team oversee Lego’s consumer relationships including digital and social engagement, apps, websites, memberships, magazines, community management, digital safety, and events. Phew!

Anna’s had a remarkable career journey starting out of university with early dotcom ‘rocket ship’ Last Minute.com, where she worked for one of our former guests, Martha Lane Fox.

Her career has also seen her work with Penguin Books, the BBC and blockbuster author JK Rowling’s company, Pottermore. To this day she retains her links to the publishing world as Chair of the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Suffice to say, Anna is one busy woman!

In this episode you’ll hear how:

She had a career epiphany at 23 years of age
What working for author JK Rowling was like
How one question helped her deal with overwhelm; and
The 3 behaviours that Lego values most in its leaders.

Anna’s worked with some truly amazing brands and organisations in her career to date so we think you’ll love hearing more about her impressive journey. Enjoy this episode with the passionate and playful Anna Rafferty.

Links

www.Lego.com

Women’s Prize for Fiction

Anna on LinkedIn

Anna’s current top ‘Must read’ books:

Books recommended by Anna in her own words:

In no particular order:

Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe – the original mistress of reinvention and the cat who had nine lives.

Warrior Queens and Quiet Revolutionaries by Kate Mosse – an encyclopaedia of incredible women from history who you should know but probably don’t.

The Power by Naomi Alderman – winner of the 2017 Women’s Prize for Fiction, presenting an alternative universe in which there’s a new physical dominance in town.

Star of the Sea by Joseph O’Connor – compulsive thriller set in the height of the Irish famine and depicting a true story from the area where my mother is from. Think Titanic crossed with Agatha Christie crossed with Dickens.

Trespasses – Louise Kennedy – Waterstones calls it “A blistering account of encroaching violence and fractured loyalties in 1970’s Belfast” and I couldn’t put it better except to add that it’s darkly funny and full of love of all kinds – romantic, maternal, fraternal, platonic. So good

The Book of Form and Emptiness by Zen Buddhist priest Ruth Ozeki – The perfect summer read, so original and funny and sweet and loving and clever and magical and sad – a must-read!

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker – absolutely compulsive, beautiful and horrifying retelling of the siege of Troy.

Life after Life by Kate Atkinson – like nothing else ever and will blow your minds.

Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis – my go-to funny comfort read.

As a bonus – I would add that, honestly, every book long listed for the Women’s Prize for Fiction every year is excellent; from Circe to Hamnet to Piranesi to Salt Lick and so on. I am biased but please let me offer this gift to you: read these books.

Finally here’s our interview with Martha Lane Fox, Co-Founder of Lastminute.com, the first company Anna worked for.

Interview

Sophia Matveeva – A Non Tech Founder in a…

August 3, 2021
by Claire

This week’s episode shares the story of founder Sophia Matveeva who found herself having to make a big pivot when the global pandemic hit.

Before Covid, Sophia, a Russian by birth and based in the UK, had been making inroads with her fashion app called Enty. Think of it as a kind of ‘Uber for fashion stylists’, used by growing numbers of consumers, and being featured as App of the Day on Mashable.

However the global lockdowns last year quickly put an end to the need for we consumers to seek stylist advice on our outfits.

Fortunately, Sophia had also been developing a side-hustle giving talks and creating a course called ‘Tech for Non-Techies’ where she shared what she’d learnt as a non tech founder and CEO running a tech startup.

So whilst Sophia’s fashion-tech business stopped dead last year, her side hustle started to build real traction.

In this episode you’ll learn:

How hearing her app developers painful feedback was the best lesson she could have had
How it took Sophia till well in to her 30’s to feel confident enough to back herself
Why she chose to do an MBA
And, her advice for those without tech experience who want to work in the tech industry.

If you’re wondering how you can get a role in a tech business or startup then don’t miss this episode with the articulate and enterprising Sophia Madveeva ….

Useful Links

Tech for Non-Techies website

Sophia’s Tech for Non-Techies podcast

Jordy Fu – Child Prodigy Artist to Sought After…

October 8, 2019
by admin

This episode features a super creative thinker and former child prodigy who’s on a quest to bring beauty and emotion to all that she creates and builds. We’re talking about renown architect, interior designer, fashion designer and artist, Jordy Fu.

Jordy grew up in Chengdu in China. At the age of just six years old, 200 pieces of Jordy’s art work were exhibited in a solo exhibition at the Beijing Capital Museum. By the time she was seven a book of her artworks had been published!

Jordy went on to study in London at the iconic art school, Central Saint Martins, before qualifying as an architect and eventually starting her own multi-disciplinary firm.

Now based in Bangkok, Jordy and her team work on a diverse range of projects… and Jordy in particular works on everything from iconic buildings in China to statement fashion pieces for the runways in Dubai.

In this episode you’ll learn:

Why she believes most architects are boring
Why being a child prodigy can make you feel like a failure when you’re an adult
How she manages to juggle multiple projects and be a parent; and
How she’s trained herself to have a positive attitude, and how you can too ….

If you aspire to be more creative or have a more positive mindset, then don’t miss this episode!

Jordy as a six year old at Beijing Capital Musuem; artwork she drew as a five year old; Jordy’s fashion collection at Dubai Fashion Week; putting the final touches on her paper chandelier; Jordy in her egg chair in her office; Greta Thomas, Jordy Fu and Claire Hatton in her Bangkok office; one of Jordy’s architectural designs.

Links of Interest

Marques & Jordy Website

Jordy’s TED Talk

Jordy on Linkedin

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Interview

Martha Lane Fox – A Powerful Voice Where Few…

August 13, 2019August 13, 2019
by admin

Our guest this week is the incredibly inspiring Martha Lane Fox, one of the UK’s most well known and respected technology leaders and society shapers.

In 1997 Martha was 25 years old when she became co-founder of Lastminute.com, one of the first internet travel marketplaces in the world. This was in the days of the first dot com boom when creating internet based businesses was still a truly pioneering thing.

In 2003, after 6 years running LastMinute.com, Martha stepped down as CEO and took some time off to holiday in Morocco, where she was seriously injured in a car accident. She broke 28 bones, had a stroke, was airlifted back to the UK and spent 2 years in hospital.

Martha’s story of her journey back to some degree of normalcy is truly incredible. The chronic pain and injuries she lives with today would make you think she’d want to rest up and take it easy. But not Martha.

She’s gone on to do so many important things, believing passionately that it’s so important for female voices to be heard. Today she sits on numerous boards including Twitter, Chanel, and the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust and is the Chancellor of the UK’s Open University.

She’s also the founder and Chair of a think tank called DotEveryone which promotes responsible technology for a fairer future. And since 2013, Martha has been a member of the House of Lords, the upper house of the UK parliament (where her title is Baroness Lane-Fox of Soho).

In this episode you’ll hear:

What it’s like to be a member of the House of Lords, particularly as a woman
How her accident impacted her life and what tactics she uses to cope and achieve all that she does
Her advice on how you can speak up and be heard
Why she tries to raise the climate crisis in whatever forum she finds herself in.

Please enjoy this interview with the irrepressible Martha Lane Fox.

Links of interest:

Martha on Twitter

Martha’s Website

Doteveryone on Twitter

Doteveryone Website

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Interview

Caroline Issa – Feel the Fear and Do It…

June 4, 2019
by admin

Our guest this week has a habit of saying “yes” to things she doesn’t know how to do… such as designing women’s wear collections for Nordstrom when she’d never designed clothes before!

We’re talking about the unbelievably stylish entrepreneur, Caroline Issa, the CEO of the Tank group which includes the revered global fashion and culture magazine, Tank Magazine. Despite her quiet humility she’s also a fashion influencer and paparazzi favourite.

Caroline started her career as a management consultant working in San Francisco, Singapore and London. One day a friend introduced her to the Founder of Tank Magazine, and she fell in love with the business. Much to the horror of her family and friends she left her big expat consulting gig and became CEO of the fledgling business. That was 17 years ago.

Fast forward to today and Tank is one of the few boutique global print magazines still thriving. What’s more, the business has grown to include a creative agency and Caroline is constantly innovating and embarking on new projects including designing those aforementioned clothing collections for Nordstrom.

Whether she’s supporting other story tellers, advocating for young talent, working with cultural institutions or designing clothing collections, Caroline Issa has learnt the benefits of saying ‘yes’ to the opportunities that come her way.

In this episode you’ll learn:

The ‘one’ thing you must know about running a business
How Caroline found a way to succeed in the fashion world despite ignoring the advice she’d been given
What makes her say ‘yes’ to opportunities even when she feels terrified
Why she’s reassessing how she uses social media.

So without further ado, enjoy this discussion with the inspiringly positive and courageous Caroline Issa.

Links

Caroline on Instagram

Caroline on Linkedin

Tank Magazine on Instagram

Tank Magazine website

Book: Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway – by Susan Jeffries

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Interview

Debbie Wosskow, OBE – What It Takes To Be…

January 29, 2019January 29, 2019
by admin

On the show this week is Debbie Wosskow, a dynamic serial entrepreneur who sold her third business, LoveHomeSwap, for US$53m. Debbie recently co-founded The AllBright, Britain’s first members-only club specifically for business women. The AllBright named after Madeleine Albright, also offers a an online academy and a community that aims to create opportunities for women to thrive and flourish. We love the idea and mission behind AllBright and think you will too.

In addition to successfully selling two businesses, Debbie’s also recently been awarded The Evening Standard ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ 2018. She’s a member of the Mayor of London’s Business Advisory Board and has also been awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE).

We so enjoyed meeting with Debbie at the AllBright in London and talking about:

Why Debbie’s mission is to create a monster, global sisterhood of kick-ass women
The recent pitch that Debbie and her coFounder used to raise 9 million pounds
Why it’s crucial to have a ‘Rhino Hide’ when you’re a successful professional woman
The three “G’s” she looks for when deciding whether to invest in a business, and
How she uses her intuition and what she still gets wrong after 20 years

We hope you enjoy this episode with the trailblazing Debbie Wosskow.